But Should I Trust Wikipedia?

And it's not entirely bad advice: Wikipedia--like all online sources-- should be approached carefully, particularly when the subject is something controversial or very recent.

That said, Wikipedia can be one of the best places to go to learn about a consensus viewpoint on a topic.

A consensus viewpoint is a perspective that most people who know about a subject will agree upon.

Wikipedia has strict rules about where its community can source its facts, and it holds its authors to a neutral point of view.

Therefore, Wikipedia often provides the best introduction that you'll find online to most subjects.

One of the best things about Wikipedia is its insistence that all major claims are accurately sourced.

You can almost always find a footnote connected to a Wikipedia claim that will point you to that original source-- which you can then find and then potentially use as a source in your own research!